Skip to main content

Powerful hardware and low prices make Archos’s new Android phablets worth a look

Archos says it wants to “shake up the mobile market.” In a few days, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the company has the opportunity to do just that with its two new additions to the Diamond smartphone family: the Diamond 2 Note and the Diamond 2 Plus.

True to its name, the Diamond 2 Note looks to be a monster of a smartphone, with a 6-inch, 2,560 x 1,440p resolution display on the front. Before jumping into the ocean of smaller-screened smartphones, Archos swears the Diamond 2 Note has a high screen-to-body ratio. In other words, Archos claims that, in the hand, the Diamond 2 Note feels the same as a smartphone with a 5.5-inch display.

Right above the 6-inch display is an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, with the 16MP rear-facing camera capable of 4K recording. That’s thanks to the octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor, which should be more than capable of standing up to Android’s most demanding games.

Also under the hood is a healthy 3GB of RAM, which is quickly becoming the standard, as well as a 3,600mAh battery that gives you an 80-percent charge in 45 minutes, thanks to its fast-charge capabilities. Finally, you’re given 32GB of expandable storage.

Meanwhile, the Diamond 2 Plus packs a smaller 5.5-inch, 1,920 × 1,080p resolution display. Above it sits an 8MP camera, while a 20.7MP Sony sensor sits around back. Unlike the rear camera found on the Diamond 2 Note, however, the Diamond 2 Plus’s rear shooter cannot record 4K video.

Regardless, the handset contains impressive internals, such as an octa-core MediaTek P10 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable memory, and a 3,000mAh battery with quick charge support. The Diamond 2 Plus also embraces features originally found on high-end smartphones, such as a fingerprint scanner on the back and a USB Type-C port on the bottom.

The Diamond 2 Note and Plus both pack LTE connectivity options and dual SIM support. In addition, they both run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The best part of the Diamond 2 Note and Plus, however, has to be the price — $280 for the former, and $230 for the latter. If you’re interested in grabbing either smartphone, they will be available starting in May.

Editors' Recommendations

Williams Pelegrin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

You can find some great smartwatch deals among the current Samsung Galaxy Watch deals, Fitbit deals, and Google Pixel Watch deals, but if Apple is your brand and you’ve got good use for a smartwatch, you’re probably looking for some Apple Watch deals. The Apple Watch lineup often finds various models atop the best smartwatches, which can make it difficult to track down some savings. But we’ve managed to find some, and we’ve rounded up all of the best Apple Watch deals below. Reading onward you’ll find savings on nearly all of the current Apple Watch models, as well as some substantial savings on some refurbished models.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

Read more
Motorola’s next folding phone could be a game-changer
Moo on the Motorola Razr 40's cover screen.

Motorola Razr 50/Razr (2024) render 91Mobiles

We’ve got some exciting news about Motorola’s next lineup of foldable Razr smartphones. If the news is accurate, it could be significant for anyone about to be in the market for a new folding phone.

Read more
Best iPhone deals: Save on iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Max and more
iPhone 13 Pro in blue.

The Apple iPhone is one of the most popular phone lineups on the planet, and it often places models at the top of the best phones. Its popularity can make iPhone deals difficult to find, but there are quite a few out there right now. Among them are iPhone SE deals, iPhone 14 deals, and even iPhone 15 deals, which is Apple’s most recent iPhone release. We’ve tracked down all of the best iPhone deals you can shop right now, so scroll onward if you’re looking for some great phone deals and Apple is your brand. You’ll find all of the details on how to save on an iPhone, as well as some details on which iPhone model may be right for you.
iPhone 15 128GB (AT&T) — $730, was $830 (plus up to $700 trade-in savings)

The Apple iPhone 15 finally brings with it Dynamic Island which we’ve only previously seen on the Pro range. It’s a real game changer at times and is very convenient. Alongside that, the Apple iPhone 15 has the Ceramic Shield front to keep it more protected while its 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display promises to be up to two times brighter than the iPhone 14 in the sun. There’s also a 48MP main camera with 2x telephoto lens to help you take great shots. The A16 Bionic chip has plenty of processing power to aid with software adjustments.

Read more